Ringwood State Park

Ringwood State Park

Ramapo Mountains Region

Park Overview:

Ringwood State Park features both wild lands and landscaped gardens. It consists of four distinct areas: Ringwood Manor, Skylands Manor/NJ State Botanical Garden, Shepherd Lake, and Bear Swamp Lake.

Park Description:

Ringwood State Park features both wild lands and landscaped gardens.

The park is named after Ringwood Manor, a large mansion containing a priceless collection of relics from the iron-making days, as well as furnishings of the Ryerson, Cooper and Hewitt families from about 1810 to 1930. Click for more information about the manor house, including tours.

Skylands Manor, located a few miles away, is home of the New Jersey Botanical Garden. Samuel Parsons, Jr., founder of the American Society of Landscape Architects and protégé of Frederick Law Olmstead, the one time NYC Parks commissioner, designed the grounds. The Manor itself was built in the 1920s based on English Jacobean architecture common in the English countryside 400 years ago. Tours are offered one Sunday per month March through November.

Shepherd Lake is principally for seasonal activities: swimming, boating, and picnicking. Oddly, on a nearby hill are trapshooting facilities, making it possible to swim to the sound of muffled guns. It may also be possible to have Shotgun Weddings since down the hill from Thunder Mountain Shooting Range is St. Luke's Chapel which is tied in to weddings at Skylands.

NJ DEP official regulations concerning leashed dogs in the park:

Not permitted:

On the beach at Shepherd Lake

Within the New Jersey State Botanical Garden.

Permitted:

On trails outside the Botanical Garden as long as the dogs are kept on the outskirts and not using the main areas of the gardens to access the trails.

On the roadways in the gardens dogs are allowed on Honeysuckle Lane and all roads below Skylands Manor.

Elsewhere pets are welcome as long as they are on a leash and the owner’s clean up after them.

Parking Fees are charged Memorial Day to Labor Day [click on park "Contact Information" below]

Trails Overview:

There are seven trails, most beginning around Ringwood Manor going on either side of Sloatsburg Road. Individual trails range from 1.0 to 7.3 miles.

Advisory: Approximately a 3/4 mile portion of the Hasenclever Iron Trail [yellow blaze] has been closed to the public in the area of Peter's Mine for a number of years. From Ringwood Manor it is approximately 1.5 miles in. There is currently no reroute, please plan accordingly. [February, 2014]

Ringwood Manor:Aside from enjoying the grounds and buildings, the Manor Trail is a relatively easy loop through the woods west of Ringwood Manor [3.0 miles; blue blaze].

Advisory: The bridge over the Ringwood River at the northern trailhead of the Crossover Trail [white blaze] and Ringwood-Ramapo Trail [red on white] has been closed by the Park, as it is structurally unsound. Until a replacement bridge is built, the Crossover and Ringwood-Ramapo Trails heading east towards Skylands Manor cannot be accessed from the upper parking area at Ringwood Manor.

Skylands Manor: With perennials, annual plantings, and unusual plant species the Skylands is a place of beauty in any season. One can stroll amid the elegance of formal gardens, or along gentle paths winding through the woods. Only the Crossover Trail passes through Skylands. The Halifax Trail [green blaze] begins on the far side of the big lawn of the gardens.

Shepherd Lake: An informal trail goes around part of the lake, and the Ringwood-Ramapo Trail [red blaze] passes by the parking lot. A new orange-blazed trail starts at the dock and stays in the area.

Park Acreage:

4444.00 acres

Municipality:

Ringwood

Ringwood State Park features both wild lands and landscaped gardens. It consists of four distinct areas: Ringwood Manor, Skylands Manor/NJ State Botanical Garden, Shepherd Lake, and Bear Swamp Lake.

Ringwood State Park features both wild lands and landscaped gardens.

The park is named after Ringwood Manor, a large mansion containing a priceless collection of relics from the iron-making days, as well as furnishings of the Ryerson, Cooper and Hewitt families from about 1810 to 1930. Click for more information...

Dogs in park:

Prepare For Your Destination

Hike Checklist:

Whether you are going for a day hike or backpacking overnight, it is good practice to carry what we call The Hiking Essentials. These essentials will help you enjoy your outing more and will provide basic safety gear if needed. There may also be more essentials, depending on the season and your needs.

The Essentials

Hiking Shoes or Boots

Water - Two quarts per person is recommended in every season. Keep in mind that fluid loss is heightened in winter as well as summer. Don't put yourself in the position of having to end your hike early because you have run out of water.

Map - Know where you are and where you are going. Many of our hiking areas feature interconnecting network of trails. Use a waterproof/tear-resistant Tyvek Trail Conference map if available or enclose your map in a Ziplock plastic bag. If you have a mobile device, download Avenza’s free PDF Maps app and grab some GPS-enhanced Trail Conference maps (a backup Tyvek or paper version of the map is good to have just in case your batteries die or you don't have service). Check out some map-reading basics here.

Food - Snacks/lunch will keep you going as you burn energy walking or climbing. Nuts, seeds, and chocolate are favorites on the trail.

Sunscreen and insect repellent

Rain Gear and Extra Clothing - Rain happens. So does cold. Be prepared for changing weather. Avoid cotton--it traps water against your skin and is slow to dry. If you are wearing wet cotton and must return to your starting point, you risk getting chills that may lead to a dangerous hypothermia. Choose synthetic shirts, sweaters and/or vests and dress in layers for easy on and off.

Compass - A simple compass is all you need to orient you and your map to magnetic north.

Light - A flashlight or small, lightweight headlamp will be welcome gear if you find yourself still on the trail when darkness falls. Check the batteries before you start out and have extras in your pack.

First Aid Kit - Keep it simple, compact, and weatherproof. Know how to use the basic components.

Firestarter and Matches - In an emergency, you may need to keep yourself or someone else warm until help arrives. A firestarter (this could be as simple as leftover birthday candles that are kept inside a waterproof container) and matches (again, make sure to keep them in a waterproof container) could save a life.

Knife or Multi-tool - You may need to cut a piece of moleskin to put over a blister, repair a piece of broken equipment, or solve some other unexpected problem.

Emergency Numbers - Know the emergency numbers for the area you're going to and realize that in many locations--especially mountainous ones, your phone will not get reception.

Common Sense - Pay attention to your environment, your energy, and the condition of your companions. Has the weather turned rainy? Is daylight fading? Did you drink all your water? Did your companion fail to bring rain gear? Are you getting tired? Keep in mind that until you turn around you are (typically) only half-way to completing your hike--you must still get back to where you started from! (Exceptions are loop hikes.)

Check the weather forecast before you head out. Know the rules and regulations of the area.

Trip Reports

Trails in Ringwood State Park are open, with the exception of Crossover Trail and Cooper Union Trail. Those two trails should be open within the month as the pipeline work there is completed. Happy Hiking!

Due to the impending construction to widen the Tennessee Gas Pipeline, which crosses the park, the park superintendent has announced that all trails in Ringwood State Park are closed until April 15, 2013. This closure affects only trails in Ringwood State Park, not those in the adjacent Ramapo Mountain State Forest or Ramapo Valley County Reservation.